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The NAHLN Update 2023
Volume 14, No. 2
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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH LABORATORY NETWORK (NAHLN)
A STATE AND FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP TO SAFEGUARD ANIMAL HEALTH
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Founding Principles and Features of the NAHLN |
- Operate within a quality management system
- Establish and maintain competency of laboratory personnel
- Use Standardized protocols, reference materials, and equipment
- Use facilities with biosafety/biosecurity levels requisite for testing performed
- Participate in communications and real time electronic reporting systems
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Evaluate preparedness (identify and prioritize gaps) through scenario testing
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In This Issue:
Recurring call schedule
NAHLN Accomplishments for fiscal year 2023
Coordinating Council Update
Response Activities:
Emerging Disease Response:
Messaging Competency Events, 2018-2023
NAHLN Offers Quality Management System (QMS) Training courses
Report on the 2023 MTWG annual meeting
Laboratory Spotlights
Getting to Know Us
Round-up
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Recurring call schedule:
NAHLN Coordinating Council (CC) calls occur on the third Monday of each month.
NAHLN Methods Technical Working Group (MTWG) core group calls occur on the second Wednesday of each month.
NAHLN Exercises and Drills Working Group (EDWG) calls occur on the fourth Wednesday of each month. People interested in serving on this group should email the NAHLN Program Office by clicking here.
NAHLN IT committee Core group calls occur on the first Wednesday of each month, except for months with quarterly
NAHLN IT general membership calls (March, June, September, and December). People interested in attending the general call can do so by selecting the personnel contact options of IT General committee member in the APHIS Laboratory Portal.
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Input Welcome!
We appreciate hearing from you!
Are there other topics that you would like to hear about? Please email your comments to us at NAHLN@usda.gov.
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“Creating a culture of integrity and accountability not only improves effectiveness, but it also generates a respectful, enjoyable and life-giving setting in which to work.” – Tom Hanson
“Accountability crumbles silos, boosts teamwork and collaboration, strengthens camaraderie, creativity, resiliency, agility, trust, and communication.” – Mike Evans
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NAHLN Accomplishments for fiscal year 2023
HPAI Outbreak Electronic Messaging
- 55 NAHLN Labs activated
- Over 215,000 tests completed in NAHLN labs and results messaged (domestic birds)
- Less than 0.1% errors
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Permanent Monitoring Program
- The 5-year NAHLN AMR Pilot has successfully transitioned to a permanent monitoring program
NAHLN Farm Bill
- Cycle 4 (Fiscal Year (FY)2023) a total of $7.54 million distributed in FY2023
- Cycle 5 (FY2024) was announced on July 27, 2023 - $5 million direct and $1 million competitive
ASF Serology Negative Cohort
- Two NAHLN labs completed a negative cohort by each testing 1000 serum samples
American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding for NAHLN Labs
- $67 million will be distributed to NAHLN labs. Each Main and Branch lab will receive $1 million
Quality Management Training
· Sixty-three participants representing 40 laboratories attended this three-day course, which provided an interactive class environment.
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Coordinating Council Update | |
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The NAHLN CC had their first face-to-face meeting in three years on July 12th and 13th! There were two full days of productive conversation that provided an opportunity to highlight NAHLN accomplishments from the past year (see below) as well as identify and prioritize goals for completion listed in the NAHLN Activity Review and the NAHLN Strategic Plan. The Deputy Administrator requested an activity review of the NAHLN by the Office of the Deputy Administrator, Resources, People, and Services, Workforce Reviews Division to ensure effective support to Veterinary Services (VS). The review encompassed the NAHLN structure, operations, management, and external collaboration efforts. Twelve recommendations were made based on the review. The majority of the recommendations can be addressed through the work of the NAHLN CC with support from the NAHLN labs and external stakeholders. These include better defining the strategic direction of the NAHLN, defining and setting goals for NAHLN testing capacity, maximizing the ability of NAHLN labs to electronically message test results, increase the value of NAHLN participation for laboratories, engage stakeholders, provide an opinion on point of care testing and establish an annual report for individual NAHLN laboratories. The NAHLN 2022-2025 Strategic Plan was evaluated to identify activities completed and those that need to be prioritized for completion. Many of these fall in line with the recommendations from the NAHLN Activity Review. An overarching list of priorities for the NAHLN has been initiated and will continue to be reviewed and updated.
Article submitted by Christina M. Loiacono, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.
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African Swine Laboratory Preparedness Week
The NAHLN and the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) hosted ASF Laboratory Preparedness Week in Manhattan, Kansas, June 12-15, 2023. Over 80 attendees representing 45 NAHLN laboratories, along with numerous representatives from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) including VS Field Operations (FiOps), NVSL (Ames, Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, and National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), VS Strategy & Policy (S&P), and National Preparedness and Incident Coordination were on site for the event. The week kicked off with a tabletop exercise written and facilitated by SES, Corp. in collaboration with the VS Training and Exercise Program (TEP) and NPO. This was the first laboratory-focused exercise for SES, Corp. and VS TEP, and the largest tabletop either had ever assisted with. Over 120 participants spent the day working through a variety of scenarios and injects starting with the detection of the index case of ASF in the continental United States, and the resulting outbreak response, surveillance, and continuity of business laboratory activities within the NAHLN. Additional injects were played by the participants from NVSL, and many attendees from other areas of USDA-APHIS were there to support the exercise as subject matter experts (SME). The exercise materials are now available to the NAHLN laboratories through the APHIS Laboratory Portal Library.
The remainder of the week featured presentations surrounding ASF, including outbreak modeling, ASF clinical disease and pathology, laboratory and on-farm biosafety, an ASF global review, and a status update on the NBAF. Attendees were also able to take part in tours of NBAF, including necropsy facilities, BSL-3 and BSL-4 spaces, and the areas that will be dedicated to the processing of diagnostic samples and generation of material for proficiency testing. Breakout sessions hosted by the NAHLN Coordinators featured discussions on Laboratory Capacity, the NAHLN Emergency Use Approval process, and review of FADI communication guidelines, while Dr. Suelee Robbe-Austerman, NVSL Director, hosted an NVSL meet and greet with both NVSL and NAHLN laboratory personnel. This event allowed for excellent communication and collaboration among those in attendance and is sure to serve as a springboard in moving forward with a comprehensive diagnostic plan for ASF response in the US.
Article submitted by Kelli Almes, DVM, DACVP, Associate Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.
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Emerging Disease Response: | |
NAHLN-NBAF Partnership to Improve Early Detection of Emerging Diseases Selections | |
In October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new partnership between the NBAF and the NAHLN. USDA’s APHIS will place five scientists in labs in each of the five NAHLN regions to enhance the capabilities and capacities of NAHLN.
"We are thrilled to announce this partnership,” said Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA’s Chief Veterinarian. “Our goal is to ensure all network laboratories are poised to combat the threat of transboundary and emerging diseases to protect our nation’s agricultural and food supply systems.”
A review team made up of experts from APHIS, NBAF, and NAHLN identified five key NAHLN facilities across the country that will each host a scientist to work on this project. These scientists will evaluate and develop diagnostics for animal and zoonotic diseases. They will collaborate across the organizations, and will be responsible for evaluating local, regional, national, and international threats and ensuring the NAHLN laboratories have the tools necessary to diagnose emerging threats.
APHIS is funding this project with NBAF Partnerships and Innovation funds as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the United States and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions through advance planning and preparedness.
The NAHLN coordination team selected the following laboratories to participate:
Region 1: New York, Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center/New York State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
This Level 1 NAHLN laboratory will focus across multiple species for the development of serological and PCR assays with a key role in the Core Infectious Disease Development Team.
Region 2: Virginia, Virginia Tech Animal Laboratory Services
This Level 2 NAHLN laboratory will focus on porcine, small ruminant and bovine species with an emphasis on molecular epidemiology and diagnostics.
Region 3: Michigan, Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
This Level 1 NAHLN laboratory will focus on multiple species as a leader in a Next Generation Diagnostic and Emerging Technology Committee.
Region 4: Arizona, Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
This Level 2 NAHLN laboratory will focus on Next Generation Sequencing to detect novel disease across the U.S./Mexico border.
Region 5: Washington, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
This level 1 NAHLN laboratory will focus on high consequences avian, aquaculture and wildlife diseases from Alaska across the U.S./Canada border.
NBAF’s mission is to protect the United States against transboundary, emerging and zoonotic animal diseases that threaten our food supply, agricultural economy and public health.
The NAHLN is a network of animal disease diagnostic laboratories that provides ongoing disease surveillance, responds quickly to disease events, communicates diagnostic outcomes to decision makers, and has the capability and capacity to meet diagnostic needs during animal disease outbreaks. APHIS oversees the NAHLN in collaboration with the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and in cooperation with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.
For more information and updates on the NAHLN-NBAF Partnership, please visit USDA APHIS | National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).
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Article submitted by Stephen E Cassle, DVM, MPH, DACVPM, Associate Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL | | | |
Leveraging veterinary diagnostic laboratory capabilities to detect and identify emerging disease threats: APHIS Unusual Morbidity/Mortality Events (UME) program.
For veterinary diagnostic laboratory (VDL) directors, our priority is to ensure that we provide veterinarians, producers, pet owners, and regulatory officials with timely, high-quality diagnostic test results. After the yearslong COVID pandemic, we’re even more cognizant of the real risks posed by emerging infectious diseases to both animal and public health.
While it’s relatively rare that we, as VDLs, are unable to detect and identify a causative agent when an infectious disease is suspected, we know those cases are frustrating for everyone —including us! It happens at laboratories across the country, usually for one of two reasons: (i) funding limitations for additional testing, or (ii) the testing laboratory has exhausted all available testing options.
To enhance our ability to chase down answers in these cases, APHIS launched a new Unusual Morbidity/Mortality Event (UME) program, with the goal of quickly and efficiently addressing the need for additional funding and capacity to work up unusual disease events. This program was borne out of discussions between the MSU (Michigan State University) VDL, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), and USDA APHIS following several deaths of Michigan dogs last summer. Cases initially described as an “unknown, parvo-like" illness in Michigan dogs due to negative point-of-care testing, subsequently tested positive at the MSU VDL for a well-known threat to unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated dogs—canine parvovirus.
During our response to the disease event, we started discussions with USDA APHIS officials about the potential ways APHIS could support work-up of these unusual morbidity/mortality events, or UMEs, at VDLs around the country. The resulting program leverages APHIS funding with the diverse capabilities and expertise across VDLs in the NAHLN.
A UME is currently defined as a situation when routine diagnostic investigation fails to identify a cause in (i) an unusual or atypical manifestation of disease, including high morbidity, mortality and/or rate of spread; or (ii) an investigation suggests a possible effect on trade, public health, or the viability of an industry or region; or (iii) a genuine suspicion of an exotic or emergency animal disease that is not otherwise being investigated by APHIS as a Foreign Animal Disease. Disease investigations in any animal species may qualify as a UME.
When a UME is identified, the laboratory or clinician can request UME support from APHIS and either receive funding to support further testing at their home laboratory or transfer samples to another NAHLN laboratory with additional diagnostic capabilities or expertise. The APHIS UME team will approve requests and facilitate diagnostic planning; and, if not already involved in the investigation, the State Animal Health Official will be notified. The MSU VDL’s role will be to administer and distribute funds or, as a NAHLN laboratory, to perform testing if requested. Pursuing diagnostics for UMEs may help veterinarians and diagnosticians detect new variants of known pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, or entirely new pathogens.
While our first goal will always be to minimize animal disease events through preventative medicine and vaccination, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic reminds us that new infectious diseases will continue to emerge, not only in humans, but in animal populations as well. The UME program will allow VDLs to chase down diagnoses in complicated cases through funding to pursue further diagnostics, utilizing new technologies, and leveraging the expertise across NAHLN. The MSU VDL is honored to be an implementing partner in USDA’s new UME initiative to enhance our ability to detect and identify infectious disease agents in our pets, livestock, horses, wildlife, and zoo animals.
Know of a UME? Contact the APHIS UME Team (aphis.ume@usda.gov) or the MSU VDL (517.353.1683).
Article submitted by Kim Dodd, DVM, MS, PhD, Director, Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
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Messaging Competency Events, 2018-2023
After six years of messaging competency events, the NPO is discontinuing this proficiency evaluation program. We have accomplished a lot in the six years, including development of a good understanding of the effort messaging requires on the part of the NAHLN laboratories, as well as the significant effort it takes to accurately and efficiently review results messages for quality control in the NPO. The NPO appreciates the support given to this program by every NAHLN lab! Electronic messaging of test results continues to be a high priority for the NAHLN mission; therefore, we plan to pivot quality review of results messaging to NAHLN exercises. We hope this will be a more realistic and engaging means of assuring our messaging readiness.
Evolution of messaging competencies
Messaging competencies were developed in 2018 at the request of the NAHLN laboratories to provide a venue for practice sending electronic messages to VS Laboratory Messaging Services (LMS) database. Messaging competencies allowed laboratories to practice their electronic messaging capability for diseases that they do not test for routinely, as well as provided a spot check to verify that periodic messaging updates were being integrated correctly into the laboratory’s message. Other benefits included ensuring that all IT systems and software functioned properly and served as an early detection mechanism for any messaging issues not previously identified.
From 2018-2020, a competency event was held twice a year for all diseases, and quarterly for Influenza A Virus in Avian (IAV-A) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Laboratories were required to participate in at least one competency for each disease they were approved to test for but could participate in more if they chose to do so.
In fiscal year (FY) 2019, APHIS began the ASF and Classical Swine Fever (CSF) surveillance program. Consequently, messaging competencies were adjusted both to add CSF messaging and to hold its competency in conjunction with ASF (Figure 1). Also, during FY19, NAHLN labs began a three-year process of establishing the capability to electronically message results for each NAHLN-approved assay for which there is a messaging guide. As a result, the number of labs and the number of messages sent increased significantly (Figure 2).
In FY21, the competency schedule changed; only one event was held per disease during the year. Correspondingly, the number of messages submitted by laboratories decreased.
During FY23, only ASF, CSF, IAV-A, and APMV messaging competency events were held due to the impact of the ongoing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak that started in 2022. This is the largest outbreak that NAHLN labs have been involved with, with a total of 55 lab activations.
NAHLN Laboratory Participation
Since 2018, the number of laboratories messaging and participating in messaging competencies increased from 40 to a total of 57 labs in 2023. Additionally, the average number of approved NAHLN-scope messages per lab grew from an average of 3.2 in 2018 to 5.6 in 2023. Figure 1 depicts the number of participating laboratories for each of the eight messaging competency events provided by the NAHLN from 2018 through 2023.
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Evaluation of Messaging Competency
For competency events, laboratories had the option of providing a message previously sent to the NAHLN LMS Production database, representing real data submitted within the past three months, or submitting a new message to the LMS Test environment. Messages sent to LMS Test contained artificial data and were meant to evaluate message structure and content only.
The percentage of messages evaluated from the Production versus Test environments varied across years (Figure 2). When messaging competencies started in 2018, about 50% of messages reviewed were sent to LMS Production. This decreased over the following years as labs were required to have their electronic messages approved for all NAHLN-approved assays for which there is a messaging guide. This created a greater number of labs that didn’t have a sample stream for the disease and therefore didn’t have result messages in LMS Production. In FY22 and 23, there was an increase in messages reviewed from LMS Production. One contributing factor was the HPAI outbreak that began in February 2022.
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Over the course of the Messaging Competency program, there was an increase in the percentage of messages reviewed that had no errors (Figure 3). In FY23, it reached an average high of 81% of messages (128 out of 158 messages from both Production and Test) reviewed with no errors. Additionally, the number of labs with no errors for all the competencies they participated in during the year reached an all-time high of 38 labs, up from 26 labs in FY22. | |
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The types of errors identified for each year of messaging competencies changed slightly over time. This is likely because as one type of error was corrected by participating laboratories, other errors were being more commonly identified.
Summary and Conclusion
During the span of the messaging competency program, all NAHLN laboratories achieved the capability of electronically messaging test results. Additionally, the quality of the message content has continually increased. These are great accomplishments attesting to the commitment we all have to the mission of NAHLN! We’ve been able to see this improved quality of the messages throughout the HPAI outbreak that started in 2022. Fifty-five NAHLN labs were activated over the course of the outbreak. Over 200,000 tests have been done since the outbreak started in February 2022. Only 0.1% of test results electronically messaged had issues where the NPO needed to reach out to the lab to address it. Additionally, the error rates diminished over the course of the outbreak.
The messaging competency program has achieved the goals of increasing the comfort level and quality of electronic messaging for NAHLN laboratories. The NPO now has a better idea of how to support the laboratories in their efforts. Our plan moving forward is to discontinue the messaging competency program and transition our efforts to monitoring messages sent to LMS Production for quality. Additionally, we will include messaging in NAHLN exercises. We believe this holistic approach will be more engaging and lead to a realistic and practical assessment of labs’ messaging capabilities.
Article submitted by Jennifer Rodriguez , Management and Program Analyst, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.
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NAHLN offers Quality Management System (QMS) Training courses
NAHLN laboratories must ensure a high degree of confidence in the quality of their test results to maintain network credibility for surveillance testing of foreign animal diseases, surge testing during an outbreak, and continued testing of samples during the outbreak recovery phase. To assist NAHLN laboratories in meeting this requirement, the NPO, in collaboration with the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, offered two QMS training courses at the National Centers for Animal Health (NCAH) facility in Ames, IA, on August 15-18, 2023.
The Foundational QMS course was held on August 15-17, 2023. Sixty-three participants representing 40 laboratories attended this three-day course, which provided an interactive class environment that included topics such as quality management system requirements, document control, records, internal auditing, corrective actions / root cause analysis, training, and equipment. Presentations were enhanced to include questions to gauge understanding; and hands-on workshops, including Document Writing, Root Cause Clue, and Quality Jeopardy, provided an interactive environment to engage participants in the topics. A mock audit workshop provided the opportunity for participants to practice the knowledge and techniques taught in the lectures and workshops throughout the week.
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The Advanced QMS course, offered for only the second year, was held on August 15-18, 2023. Twenty-eight participants representing 28 laboratories attended this four-day course, which provided a discussion-based class environment that included topics such as client-centric activities, complaints, risk management, continuous process improvement, competence, internal audits, and management reviews. Hands-on workshops, including VDL-opoly (Monopoly), Managing Complaints, Ongoing Competency, and Advanced Quality Jeopardy, provided an interactive environment to fully immerse participants in the various areas covered by the training. | | | |
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At the completion of each training, participants had the opportunity to complete evaluations and provide feedback on their experiences. The overall response to the training continues to be very positive, with the interactive workshops garnering the top scores. Feedback is used to make improvements where needed to ensure that the courses continue to meet the needs and expectations of all laboratories within the network.
It is clear that training on the important concepts and strategies of quality management systems is needed and appreciated by the NAHLN laboratories, as the classes are well-attended every year. The Foundational course has been provided annually from 2010-2018 and was brought back in 2022 following the lifting of COVID restrictions. The Advanced course was launched in 2022 based on feedback received in the evaluations. The NAHLN QMS courses continue to be a great success, and we are already looking forward to 2024!
Article submitted by Kelly Burkhart, Microbiologist, NAHLN Program Office USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL, Ames, IA
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Report on the 2023 MTWG annual meeting.
The NAHLN Methods Technical Working Group (MTWG) held its first in-person annual meeting since 2019 on May 16-18 of this year. This committee provides input to the NAHLN on technical aspects of diagnostic testing, reviews data on validation/methods comparison testing for new reagents or platforms used in assays deployed to NAHLN laboratories, and identifies technical priorities for the NAHLN. Our annual meeting is where we review accomplishments and look to prioritize work for the coming year.
This committee is co-chaired by Beth Harris, NAHLN associate coordinator, and Beate Crossley, from the University of CA-Davis NAHLN VDL. Membership includes 12 representatives from NAHLN laboratories, two external subject matter experts, and 10 federal representatives from CVB, USGS National Wildlife Health Center, NVSL reference laboratories, and the NPO.
A review of accomplishments from 2022-2023 was conducted as part of this year’s annual meeting. Once again, committee members excelled at accomplishing most priorities from the previous year, as well as taking on several reviews of validation/methods comparison dossiers and standard operating procedures (SOPs). A list of accomplishments includes:
- Completing an ASF ELISA Negative Cohort study. Two NAHLN laboratories tested 1000 samples each for this study.
- Completing a tabletop exercise in conjunction with the NAHLN EDWG, focusing on point-of-care testing as part of an ASF outbreak. Laboratories were provided a scenario with injects and had two weeks to complete the exercise, with 37 ASF-approved labs participating.
- Developing a review process for evaluating deliverables from funded Farm Bill projects for immediate deployment to other NAHLN laboratories. The committee also reviewed 13 projects from the first cycle of the 2018 Farm Bill (2018-2019), recommending deliverables from four of these projects for immediate deployment.
- Evaluating sequencing standards and developing a best practices document for whole genome sequencing of bacterial and viral isolates using currently available long-read and short-read platforms.
- Developing recommendations to NVSL reference laboratories on harmonizing SOPs deployed to the NAHLN. Recommendations were finalized regarding designation of temperature ranges for refrigerators/freezers in SOPs, clearly identifying changes in technical instructions for new SOP revisions, and removing equipment software versioning from SOPs when not critical to assay performance.
- Reviewing three methods comparisons for new equipment and/or reagents for IAV-A, ASF, and chronic wasting disease.
- Reviewing and providing input to NVSL reference laboratories on SOPs for ASF and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
Time was also spent during the 2023 annual meeting to identify which priorities the committee will address in the upcoming year. Requests from NVSL, the NAHLN CC, and NAHLN laboratories were considered. Once the list of potential projects was developed, the committee then voted on prioritizing the list of activities below:
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Revision of Methods Comparison Process: The NVSL Director has requested a harmonized process be developed to provide guidance to commercial manufacturers that outlines minimum validation requirements for acceptance of their product into the NAHLN. The NAHLN MTWG has been charged with providing input to the draft process developed by the NPO and incorporating this document into their current review process.
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Review of Farm Bill Projects: The MTWG will continue the review of the funded Farm Bill projects, next focusing on funded projects from Cycle 2 (2019-2020) of the review process.
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NVSL SOP Harmonization: The MTWG will finalize this process, initiated last year, by ensuring recommended changes are incorporated as new versions of NAHLN SOPs are released.
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Digital PCR platform evaluation: The NAHLN CC has requested a review of digital PCR platforms to determine their potential use within the NAHLN. Factors such as available vendors, cost, and application to diagnostic testing, including foreign animal disease testing, will be included in the evaluation.
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Whole genome Sequencing (WGS) Standardization: The MTWG will develop recommendations for incorporating the standards developed for WGS into the NAHLN.
These priorities will be brought to the MTWG core committee’s monthly meetings for discussion and completion over the upcoming year. Other agenda items for the May meetings included updates from current MTWG subcommittees, NVSL reference laboratory updates, and reviewing the current MTWG charter.
A very big thank you to all who attended either virtually or in person – your dedication to the NAHLN and participation in the MTWG is greatly appreciated!
Article submitted by Beth Harris, Associate Coordinator, NAHLN Program Office USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL, Ames, IA
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Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory | |
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Main Lab: VDACS Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory
Branch Labs:
- VDACS Lynchburg Laboratory
- Wytheville Regional Animal Industry Laboratory
Lab Director: Jessica Walters, DVM, PhD, DACPV
Quality Manager: Melinda Stuart, BS, MLT-ASCP
What is now the VDACS began in 1877 as a fertilizer testing service for Virginia farmers. Over the first 49 years, a central laboratory was established in Richmond, which was responsible for testing fertilizer, paint, gasoline, pesticides, and (during Prohibition) alcohol. When the Livestock and Sanitation Board, previously an independent entity, was incorporated into the Department of Agriculture and Immigration in 1926, the Division of Animal Health was created. Five years later, in 1931, the first laboratory in Virginia devoted to animal health was established in the town of Harrisonburg, in Rockingham County. Over the next 20-30 years, as government efforts to control brucellosis and hog cholera (now known as Classical Swine Fever) intensified, additional regional animal health laboratories were established in eight separate locations around the Commonwealth. By the late 1950’s, regional animal health laboratories existed in Accomac (Accomack Co.), Harrisonburg, Ivor (Southampton Co.), Lynchburg (Campbell Co.), Richmond (City), Warrenton (Fauquier Co.), Warsaw (Richmond Co.), and Wytheville (Wythe Co.). Over the next 45 years, the laboratories in Accomac, Richmond, Warsaw, and Ivor closed, while new or expanded facilities were built in the other four locations. Services continued to expand well beyond the original dairy testing and serology offerings, to include necropsy services, sophisticated microbiology testing, and molecular testing techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
The VDACS Harrisonburg Regional Animal Health Laboratory joined NAHLN in 2004.
What are your three biggest accomplishments as a diagnostic lab?
- Provided laboratory response and support for the 2023 HPAI Outbreak in Virginia, with positive feedback from industry personnel, significantly enhanced testing capabilities, and limiting the number of infected premises to two in a control zone of >150 farms.
- Received Level I Branch Laboratory System Designation through the NAHLN.
- Became ISO 17025 accredited by A2LA as a full system.
What do you believe your biggest benefit to NAHLN is or will be?
- Having multiple labs across Virginia allows our system to be able to provide testing and disposal locations throughout our region, many times allowing disposal in areas with smaller populations of the species affected during an outbreak. Additionally, our geographic dispersal and variety of testing modalities will help us identify emerging infectious diseases of livestock and poultry rapidly. Our team is absolutely fantastic and brings a plethora of diverse expertise and passion to the network.
Lab Background: What is your labs specialty, area of focus?
- Species: Harrisonburg (main lab)- Poultry with some Livestock, Lynchburg (Branch) - Livestock, Wytheville (Branch) - Livestock/Aquaculture
- Diagnostics: Harrisonburg - Molecular/Serology, Lynchburg (Branch)- Food Safety/Molecular, Wytheville (Branch) - Serology/Aquaculture
Total number of staff? 40
Number of staff dedicated to NAHLN activities?
- 1 Program Manager
- 1 Business Manager
- 1 Quality Manager
- 1 Regional Quality Coordinator
- 3 Microbiologist Supervisors
- 9 Analysts (7 Harrisonburg, 1 Wytheville, 1 Lynchburg)
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Article submitted by Traci Imlau, Program Assistant, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL. | |
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Lab Director: Jessica Walters, DVM, PhD, DACPV
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Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (OVDL)
- Laboratory Director: Dr. Kurt Williams, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP
- Quality Manager: Donna Mulrooney
The OVDL first moved into a building dedicated to serve as the diagnostic laboratory in 1952, though it was handling cases as early as 1948. The virology, serology, and molecular diagnostics sections of the OVDL still work out of the 1952 facility!
What are your three biggest accomplishments as a diagnostic lab?
- Our lab has shown the ability to evolve and continue to meet the changing and ever-expanding roles and demands placed on the laboratory, in a facility designed and built in a time when such challenges were not foreseen.
- Stepping up during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to contribute to meet Oregon’s testing needs during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Oregon is a very large and geographically diverse state. The OVDL has an expanding presence in the state, addressing all manner of animal disease issues from the coast to high desert of Oregon, and all points in between.
The OVDL joined NAHLN in 2005.
What do you believe your biggest benefit to NAHLN is or will be?
“The biggest benefit the OVDL brings to the NAHLN is, without doubt, the preternatural dedication every individual affiliated with the laboratory has in service to its mission of investigating and diagnosing animal disease. This has and will continue to benefit the NAHLN as we all address animal disease issues of national importance.”
Lab Background: What is your lab’s specialty, area of focus?
“Unlike some peer NAHLN laboratories in the United States, Oregon’s animal agriculture isn’t dominated by any one species: it’s very diverse. The laboratory also contributes considerably to understanding disease dynamics in Oregon’s, and the region’s wildlife, and to testing for diseases of public health importance for the state. In a nutshell, the OVDL is Oregon’s One Health laboratory.“
Total number of staff? 50
Number of staff dedicated to NAHLN activities? 41
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Article submitted by Traci Imlau, Program Assistant, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.
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Getting to Know Us –
Dr. Stephen Cassle, NAHLN Associate Coordinator
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Dr. Stephen E. Cassle is a recent addition to the NAHLN team and serves as an Associate Coordinator within the program. Since the beginning of July 2023, Dr. Cassle has worked to establish a new program, the NAHLN-NBAF Partnership to Improve the Early Detection of Emerging/Endemic Diseases. This partnership aims to increase the capabilities and capacities of the Nation’s veterinary laboratory systems to ensure we can respond to immediate and emerging threats to sustain the U.S. agricultural well-being. Once the partner laboratories have been identified across the five regions of NAHLN, scientists in each lab will serve as regional representatives: responsible for diagnostic assay development, regional risk assessments, regional response preparedness and collaboration amongst other labs in the region. Dr. Cassle will coordinate the activities of the five regional scientists, develop an Emerging Disease Response Plan, supervise regional table-top exercises, and communicate activities and progress across the NAHLN participants.
Dr. Cassle is no stranger to federal service. After completing his DVM at Colorado State University, he joined the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps as a Captain in June 2002. Dr. Cassle served in numerous leadership positions throughout his active duty Army career, including: Officer-in-Charge of the Fort Leonard Wood Veterinary Treatment Facility; Chief of Clinical Veterinary Services at the Navy Marine Mammal Program; Command Veterinarian for Area Support Group-Kuwait; Coordinator and Preventive Medicine Instructor for the First Year Graduate Veterinary Education Program, Fort Belvoir, VA; and Chief for the Food Protection and Mission Sustainment Branch, Army Medical Department Center and School, Health Readiness Center of Excellence, San Antonio, TX. Dr. Cassle also had the privilege to command twice during his Army career: first as Commander, 248th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support, Fort Bragg, NC, and finally as Commander, Public Health Activity- Guam. In the latter, his team was responsible for the food protection and animal health missions across 14 countries, two territories, and Antarctica in the Western Pacific, Oceania, and Southeast Asia.
While in the Army, Dr. Cassle was selected for the Long-Term Health Education and Training Program and attended the University of Florida (UF). During the three-year program, Dr. Cassle completed a Masters in Public Health with emphasis in Global and Environmental Health, and completed a clinical residency in Aquatic Animal Health. Dr. Cassle obtained his Diplomate status in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2013 and earned The Army Surgeon General 9A Proficiency Designator for excellence in Veterinary Preventive Medicine in 2021. After 21 years of Active-Duty service, Dr. Cassle retired as Colonel in 2023.
As a bonus to his time at UF, Stephen also met his wife, Dr. Ahmira Torres Cassle, who is Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Small Animal). They live on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico with their two children, Erica and Luke. Together, they enjoy outdoor exercising, traveling, and water activities (boating and sailing). Stephen is also a Legos fanatic, loves SCUBA, and is an amateur sailor, but hopes to get better.
Dr. Cassle’s thoughts on NAHLN: Before I joined the USDA, I had no idea of the depth and breadth of responsibilities held by the NAHLN program. The 60-plus labs in the network are instrumental in securing U.S. agricultural products against emerging threats, whether endemic or foreign in nature. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve again in an organization with so much responsibility.
Article submitted by Traci Imlau, Program Assistant, NAHLN Program Office, USDA APHIS VS D & B, NVSL.
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Welcome to the new members of the Coordinating Council
Level 1 Laboratory Directors:
- Amy K. Swinford - Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
Level 2 Laboratory Directors:
- Kenitra Hendrix - Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at Purdue University
State Animal Health Official (SAHO)
Thank you to the members rotating off the Coordinating Council
- Dr. Lisa Murphy – University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center
- Dr. Beth Thompson – South Dakota - SAHO
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Abbreviation / Acronym Key | Click Here for Volume 14, No.2 Acronym Key | |
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NAHLN Facts
The following link show a map and laboratory list of laboratories that have been approved as part of the NAHLN Testing Network.
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